Five Surefire ways to not get noticed by a publisher
- Not reading submission guidelines
Whether you are speaking to an editor face to face or querying a publisher online, be well-versed in their guidelines. Go to their website and read the submission guidelines page. And follow them to the letter. If there is a window for submission, say January to March, don’t send your manuscript in June. Read the guideline and reread them. Then before you press send in your email check them again. Do this correctly and it is the first step to getting noticed.
- Ask for an exception
Never asked a publisher, editor or blog host to make an exception. What do I mean?
I’ve sent the photos in the document because I don’t know how to attach them. Ask your child or grandchild how. Learn this
This is longer than you asked ,for but I couldn’t decide where to cut it. (Don’t assume the editor is willing to take the time to cut it for you. They’d rather not.) Staying within the exact word count shows professionalism.
- Submit a genre or subject they don’t publish
Goes back to reading the guidelines. I had an editor friend who has a newsletter to help writers, she only accepts articles that pertain to writing and helping writers. Yet, she has gotten submission about gardening and a variety of unrelated subjects.
Another note here: Magazines often have monthly themes. You can find those on the guideline page.
- Send in a manuscript full of grammar and spelling errors.
It doesn’t matter how good your subject matter is editors will not take the time to fix these. Find a writer friend to read through it, for a second set of eyes.Running it through spell check, Grammarly, ProWritingAid or any other document checker will help a great deal. Invest in one of these programs, you.
- Send your first draft
First drafts are just that—first drafts. These are full of mistakes and awkward sentences. All successful writers pen their first draft, let it rest awhile and then come back to it with their red pen. I try to make sure even my blog post are error free. Sometimes I fail big time when I get in a hurry and post the first draft. Readers will catch those glaring mistakes and question whether they want to read my novels. Always send you best work.
Do you have a caution to add to my list?
Rescuing Her Heart Releases July 6, 2021. It’s available for preorder in both paperback and e-book.
https://www.amazon.com/Rescuing-Heart-Cindy-Ervin-Huff-ebook/dp/B092
